The Pittsburgh-Burma House by Than Htay Maung, Khet Mar

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The City of Asylum (COA) is an organization that offers sanctuary to writers in exile from their home countries due to their writing. In the Mexican War Streets area of the Central North Side you'll find several houses where these writers are able to start their new lives free of persecution while they continue to write. The exterior of these houses are adorned with public art that includes text. COA calls them house publishing. Right now there are four published houses on Sampsonia Way.



You'll find some of the story of Pittsburgh-Burma House on COA's own website.

Exiled writer Khet Mar and her husband Than Htay Maung created this mural. She was the third writer to be hosted by City of Asylum here in Pittsburgh. In Burma (now known as Myanmar) she was censored, arrested, and interrogated for pro-democracy activities.  She was tortured for 10 days - trying to get her to identify other pro-democracy activists.  She only gave up the names of friends that had already died.

Sentenced to 10 years in prison, she was put in with death row inmates and endured abusive treatment where the guards would kick her repeatedly.  When she was released by the new general after serving one year, she was grateful.  After leaving Burma and arriving here in Pittsburgh, Khet Mar had a dream, and that's what is depicted here.  The mural was done by Than Htay Maung to interpret his wife's dream and blend the images of Burma and Pittsburgh.  The Irrawaddy River meets the Allegheny River. Vultures become songbirds as the scene changes from tremendous suffering, fear, imprisonment and anxiety to a peaceful, idealistic vision of Pittsburgh.

We searched the internet for hours trying to find a translation of this poem with absolutely no luck.  We finally emailed the City of Asylum and they sent us one, translated by Sao Aung Myint, which is copyrighted unfortunately, so we can't publish it here for you.  I will tell you that it's the story of a dream full of images and feelings, including those of freedom and sanctuary found in the writer's new home of Pittsburgh.

More information is available in Sampsonia Way, and in an article in Pittsburgh Magazine.